From 2000–2008, the percentage of women who initiated breastfeeding went up from 47.4% to 58.9% for blacks, and 71.8% to 75.2% for whites. Initiation rates for Hispanics went from 77.6% to 80.0%, although this was not a significant increase.
Infants that were breastfed at 6 and 12 months increased greatly among all three racial/ethnic groups.
While 74.6% of infants born in 2008 began breastfeeding, only 23.4% met the recommended breastfeeding duration of 12 months. This indicates women may need more support to continue breastfeeding.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/resources/breastfeeding-trends.htm
